The Historic Clash Renewed: Al Ahly vs. Zamalek in the African Super Cup
September 26, 2024, 4:53 pm

The Historic Clash Renewed: Al Ahly vs. Zamalek in the African Super Cup

الأهلي والزمالك

The historic rivalry between Egyptian football giants Al Ahly and Zamalek is reigniting, but this time far from Cairo, as they face off on Friday at the "Kingdom Arena" in Saudi Arabia's capital, Riyadh, in the African Super Cup match. The two teams come into this "Cairo Derby," as it is known in their home country, under varying circumstances.

Al Ahly has recently claimed the CAF Champions League title for a record 12th time in May, while Zamalek won the CAF Confederation Cup just days before that, marking their second victory in the tournament. This sets up a meeting between the two powerhouses in the Super Cup for only the second time in 30 years, since the 1994 edition, where Zamalek triumphed with a solitary goal from Ayman Mansour.

Al Ahly hopes to secure their ninth Super Cup title, building on their record after previously winning in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2021, and 2022. However, they have lost the title three times, with the latest defeat occurring last year against Algeria’s USM Alger.

On the other hand, Zamalek is seeking their fifth Super Cup title following their previous wins in 1994, 1997, 2003, and 2020, having only lost once in 2001.

This match marks the 11th encounter between Al Ahly and Zamalek in African competitions. In addition to the 1994 Super Cup, the two teams have clashed nine times in the Champions League, where Al Ahly has emerged victorious six times, with Zamalek winning just once (the 1994 Super Cup) and three matches ending in draws. Notable among these encounters is the 2020 CAF Champions League final, which saw Al Ahly win 2-1 in Cairo, dubbed the "Final of the Century."

This will be the second match held in Riyadh between the two rivals, following the Egyptian Cup final in April, which ended in a 2-0 victory for Al Ahly.

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
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Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
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For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”